


Friendship

by orphan_account



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Angst, Character Death, F/M, Injury
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-07
Updated: 2018-12-07
Packaged: 2019-09-13 16:36:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,872
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16896147
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: It damn near breaks his heart to tell this story to Belle, but it is time that someone knew it.  It was time Rumpelstiltskin shared his heart break with someone else.





	Friendship

Mr. Gold sat in his shop with a defeated look on his face.  He couldn’t get the words LeRoy had said to him out of his head.  _What would you know about friendship?_  It was true…he didn’t have many friends.  In fact, the only one he could rely on was Belle, but she was more than a friend. 

 

That thought seemed to make something in him stir.  His body moved on its own as he crossed the shop and unlocked a display case.  It was in there that he pulled out a silver chain with a beautiful shining blue gem on it.  His hand cradled the cool gem as he saw the flash of an image behind his eyes.  The image of _her_. 

 

“Rumple?”  Belle’s soft voice called out him gently as she put a hand on his shoulder, comforting the man she loved.  She had witness the argument at Granny’s, how Rumple said he wouldn’t help the dwarves with some magic issue, how LeRoy called him heartless, friendless…it broke her heart to see that flash of emotion that crossed his face at that moment.  “Are you alright?” 

 

“I’ll be fine, my dear.”  He limped back over to a bench and sat down, still cradling the necklace in his hand as if it were a small bird, as if he put too much pressure on it, that it would snap and shatter in his hands.

 

“What is that?  Will that help the dwarves?” 

 

“No…”  He took a deep breath before he looked up into those beautiful eyes of his beauty.  “They are wrong, you know.  There was a time when I had a friend.  A best friend, in fact…although I didn’t know it at the time.” 

 

“This belonged to them, didn’t it?”  She spoke quietly.  She knew how he could get when he fell into a memory, sometimes it was best to just let it run its course.  She waited for Mr. Gold to nod slowly before she asked the obvious question.  “Where is he?” 

 

“She.”  He corrected quickly.  “Her name was Riley.  And she died.”  He felt Belle’s arms tighten around him, giving him the support he needed to finally speak his peace.  No one ever knew of Riley, not even those from the Enchanted Forest that she lived around.  She was silent, she was one to stay in the background, one to live alone.  And even when they didn’t know her, Riley was still helped save them in their time of need.  It was time her memory was brought to the light.

 

“How did you meet her?” 

 

Mr. Gold couldn’t help but smile as he turned to Belle, chuckling a little at the memory.  “She broke into my castle.”

 

000

 

Rumpelstiltskin glared down at the floor before snapping his head back up to the open front door.  “Now, I know I didn’t leave that open.”  He spoke to himself as he followed the trail of water that had probably dripped from his intruder as they moved about his fortress.  “Come out, dearie, or you’ll be sorry.” 

 

His steps were silent as he followed the trail.  He expected it to lead to his room of magic or where his treasures were held, but instead, it led to the corner of his main room, to a pile of straw.  Right next to his spinning wheel, lay a cloaked figure, asleep on the straw. 

 

“Well that’s just rude, now it’s all wet.”  He grimaced as he snapped his fingers.

 

The snap echoed around the room until it slowly decrescendo into silence. He stood still for a moment before shaking his head. “That’s not right.”  He snapped again, but his magic did not work.  He had intended for the cloaked figure to be turned to some creature, a toad perhaps, but there they were, still asleep on the straw.

 

He approached the figure cautiously, curious as to why his magic was not working.  There must be some enchantment, this must be a powerful sorceress to be able to withstand his dark magic.  So instead, he opted for a more direct approach.  A hard kick to the foot.

 

The figure bolted upright suddenly as the Dark One stepped back.  “Awake are we now, dearie?”  He mocked. 

 

The figure turned before quickly standing and giving a soft bow.  “My apologies.  I thought this place was abandoned.” 

 

Rumple looked around his room before snapping at her.  “I know it’s a bit dusty but it isn’t that bad.”

 

The figure quickly removed their hood to reveal a young woman underneath.  She had a simple smile on her face as she spoke.  “I just wanted to get out of the storm.  I didn’t mean to intrude.”

 

“And yet you did.  And you tracked water in.  And you got my straw wet.”  He rotated his hand around and pointed to where she had been laying as she turned and gave him a curious look.  But then she caught sight of the spinning wheel and gasped. 

 

“I am so sorry!  I will replace that first thing in the morning, please forgive me!”  The young woman quickly got to work moving around the straw so the wet pieces didn’t infect the rest of the pile. 

 

Meanwhile, Rumpelstiltskin just stood there in curiosity.  “Leave it.”  He said with a thick voice.  “I suggest you leave.”  He turned to make a dramatic exit, but the woman had other plans as she reached out and grabbed his arm.

 

“Wait, couldn’t I just stay until the storm is past?”  Her touch shocked him, no one just touched him and got away with it.  He withdrew his arm quickly and then snapped again, practically growling when it didn’t work.  So instead, he reached out and gripped her throat in his hand.

 

“Why doesn’t my magic work on…”  His words were cut off when he saw his hand, the one gripping her neck, was slowly changing back to a more human tone.  He released her quickly and observed how it went back to its scaly appearance.  “How did you do that?” 

 

“I didn’t…”  She said shyly as she pulled out a necklace.  A necklace that was on a silver chain, with a shining blue gem as the pendant.  “It’s this.  It is enchanted.  No magic works on me while I wear it.” 

 

Rumpelstiltskin hummed as he tapped his finger on his jaw.  “How about a trade.  You can stay in my castle to wait out the storm, if you give me that trinket.” 

 

“No.”  The answer was quick and precise.  A fact that light the flames of anger in Rumpelstiltskin’s heart.

 

“Well…then I’ll just have to take it.”  He quickly magicked up a sword and swung it down, but it was stopped by a dagger the girl had brought out from her cloak.

 

“You can’t.  Only I can take it off!” 

 

“Bet that won’t work if you’re dead.”  He swung again but was blocked from hitting his target. 

 

“You really want to take that chance?!”  The girl cried out.  And for the first time in his life since becoming the Dark One, Rumpelstiltskin was at a loss of what to do. 

 

000

 

“I would say I’m surprised, but you were never overly kind of uninvited guests.”  Belle joked as Mr. Gold trailed off from his story.

 

He hummed in response, taking her hand in his.  “That’s true.  But that night, we struck a bargain.  I could hardly believe it when she suggested it, it was insane.”  He could still picture how Riley held her head high when she introduced herself and offered her bargain.  It was a courage he had never seen before, and he admired her for it. 

 

“What was the bargain?”

 

“She would give me the necklace…when I had proved myself a true friend to her.”  His finger ran over the blue gem, watching as the magic inside seemed to react to him, shining brighter as he did so.

 

“Well, you must have been a great friend indeed.  She gave it to you, didn’t she?”  Belle smiled, hoping this story had a happy end.  It broke Mr. Gold’s heart to have to tell her otherwise.

 

“She did…but at a terrible cost…”

 

000

 

Riley had come to make the castle like a second home, Rumple realized when he found a closet with some of her cloaks and a spare set of boots in it.  He rolled his eyes and went back to crafting his potions when he heard the first crack of thunder.  “Where are ya, dearie?”  He asked out loud.  Riley was usually so quick to get to the castle when the storm hit.

 

It took some time for him to realize that Riley lived in the woods.  She preferred it to the villages, saying that there wasn’t as much drama and danger in the woods.  Rumple understood that belief.  So she would wander the woods when the weather was nice, live off what the land would grant, and then when the weather turned bad, or if she wanted some company, she would return to the castle. 

 

Lately, though, her trips had been few and far between.  A group of bandits had taken up residence in the woods.  It had been a sore spot between them for quite some time now.  Riley tried to convince Rumple to do something about it, but it wasn’t his concern.  It wasn’t like they would come to his castle.  And if they did?  He would kill them. 

 

But Riley had a bleeding heart.  One of the most infuriating things about the woman.  She cared too much.  She would argue that Rumple could save the people with no harm to himself, to think of the people who were being hurt.  But she didn’t think of one thing…Rumple didn’t give two thoughts about anyone else.  At least, not until today.

 

He finally heard the front door swing open and then shut and he let out a relieved sigh of air that he didn’t realize he had stored away.  He even rolled his eyes at himself, he shouldn’t be getting so attached.  Sure, he wanted that enchanted necklace, but he could fake it until she felt like they were “friends” then he could push her away…but even as he thought that, it ate at him.  The thought that Riley wouldn’t come to the castle and keep him company during a storm, or sometimes come by with straw for his spinning…

 

“Rumple!”  She called out to him as she ran in.  “You have to help!  The bandits are attacking the village!” 

 

He looked to her, took in her muddy clothes that were torn and a mess from her probably running here.  “I already told you, I won’t do it.”  He bit back at her.

 

“You have to help them!  They have done nothing wrong, they will all die if you don’t!”  There was a desperation in her voice that Rumple didn’t like.  He saw how she gripped her dagger, how her body was already turned away.

 

“You plan to fight them on your own, don’t you?”  He accused.

 

“If I must.  Please, my friend, please save these people.”  Her eyes were pleading with him, those blue eyes that matched that gem around her neck. 

 

Rumple couldn’t help but glance down at the gem and then back to her, how she looked so heartbroken.  That wasn’t what he wanted.  He set down the jar he was holding and went to open his mouth.  But then he stopped when he realized what was happening.  She just came in here, asked for something, and he was going to give it…no trade, no cost, just give up his magic for her.  That was not how he worked! 

 

The little flame of anger rose in him again.  She had gotten into his heart, she had become a friend in his eyes.  That was wrong!  He had no friends, he didn’t need friends.  It was just supposed to be a ruse for that damn necklace.  She was a distraction.  When was the last time he worked towards his end goal, when was the last time he manipulated the world to his needs…too long.  And it was because of her…  His control snapped and he glared at her.

 

“You want me to work for you?  Is that what your goal is here, to make me bend to your whim?” 

 

Confusion crossed her face as she shook her head.  “No, of course not!  But you can save--.”

 

“ENOUGH!”  He screamed as he flipped his table over in anger.  “I will not help them!” 

 

Riley’s eyes steeled into a hard look as she sighed.  “Fine.  Then I will.” 

 

Rumple rolled his eyes.  “You will die if you go to that village.”  He said quickly.  The fear rose up in him at those words.  Sure, she was skilled in fighting, but these bandits were brutal and there were too many of them. 

 

“Well then…”  Riley let a couple tears fall down her face as she turned away from him, raising her hood to protect her from the storm.  “Then I guess you will get your prize after all.”  Her fingers ran over the necklace as she stormed from the room and out of the castle. 

 

000

 

“I don’t understand.”  Belle spoke softly.  The story was tragic.  She knew, just looking him, she knew how much his friend meant to her.  How much his words and his actions were haunting him, but she didn’t understand what happened after that.  She didn’t understand what would affect him so badly that he would look as heartbroken as he did now.

 

“I sat in my castle for hours, waiting for her to return.  But when the sun rose that next day, and she hadn’t returned…I went looking for her.”  Rumple closed his eyes, reliving the moment as he spoke to Belle.  “The village was destroyed, so many lost.  But the bandits were defeated, some lived…but Ri-Riley…”

 

000

 

Rumpelstiltskin fell to his knees next to Riley and he pulled her cloak away to reveal the deep wound caused by a sword.  A sword that went right through her stomach.  “Why?  Why did you do it?”  He questioned her as he put his hand over her stomach, applying pressure to stop the bleeding, ignoring how his hand began to change when he touched her. 

 

“Because…it was the right thing to do.”  She said with a sweet smile. 

 

“And look what that cost you!”  Rumple gritted out as he tried, even though he knew it wouldn’t work, to use magic to heal her.

 

“It was worth that cost to save those people.”  She reached up and put her hand against Rumple’s face as she let the tears fall.  “I’m glad I met you, my friend.  You are truly one of a kind.”  She joked.

 

Rumple looked at her with a crumpled expression as he thought back to those random days they spent, either he walking the forest with her or her watching him work his magic, how they would try to pull pranks on each other, how they truly had an amazing friendship. 

 

Rumple reached out and touched her necklace.  “Take it off so I can heal you.  Quickly!”  He could feel the life already draining from her body, she had only moments left.  But those moments stretched on after she spoke, after she told him the true price of this magic trinket. 

 

“I can’t…Once you put it on, it can never come off…until you die.” 

 

“W-What?!”  Rumple gasped as he gathered her up in his arms, holding her tightly against his chest, cradling her and rocking her as she slowly began to close her eyes.

 

“I’m sorry…I lied…”  She let out a soft sigh.  “I just…didn’t want to be alone…”  She felt Rumples arms tighten around her, she felt the wet drops fall to her forehead.  “I’m happy…to have been your friend.”  She looked up to him and smiled one last time as her eyes drifted closed.  “Goodbye, Rumple.” 

 

000

 

Mr. Gold didn’t even try to hide the silent tears that fell down his face.  “I buried her under an ancient oak in the forest.  She said it was her favorite.  I enchanted it so no one could disturb it. So she could be in peace.” 

 

Belle let out a soft sob as she leaned into him.  “I’m so sorry, Rumple.” 

 

“As am I.”  There was a silence that filled the shop.  No more words were said about Riley that night.  It would take a few days before Belle asked about her again, asked for stories, happier ones, of when they were friends, and Mr. Gold was always happy to share them. 

 

As for the pendant, it went back into the display case where it laid on black silk, locked in its own space.  Rumpelstiltskin swore that day, the day he held the necklace in his hand, the day he buried his best, and only, true friend, that the necklace would never be worn again.  Magic always comes with a price.  And for Riley, it cost her life, but it gained her a friend.  And if anyone could ask her now, she would have told you that it was a worthwhile trade. 


End file.
